Kristiina Kruus appointed Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering

The Board of Aalto University has appointed Research Professor Kristiina Kruus, currently of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, as the new Dean for the School of Chemical Engineering. Her five-year period as dean starts 1 December 2018.

D.Sc. (Tech.) Kristiina Kruus (born 1959) completed her dissertation on applied microbiology at the Helsinki University of Technology in 1996. She has worked at VTT since 1997 and since 2010 has acted as Research Professor in the area of Enzymology of Renewable Biomass. Kruus leads VTT’s side of the CERES competence center, the joint initiative of Aalto and VTT to develop new biomaterials, funded by Academy of Finland flagship funding. During 2014–2017 she led VTT’s Bioeconomy Transformation programme.

She is a member of several scientific committees, e.g., the Academy of Finland Research Council of Biosciences and Environment. Kruus is a docent in enzyme biotechnology at the University of Helsinki, and she has been actively teaching at both the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. Her experience in guiding master students and doctoral candidates is long-standing.

‘I am delighted that Kristiina Kruus is joining us as the new Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering. She has very strong research merits, excellent Finnish and international professional networks as well as ties with industry. Managing multidisciplinary co-operation is her strength. I wish her a warm welcome to Aalto,‘ says Aalto University President Ilkka Niemelä.

‘Aalto University has become a pioneer not only in Finland but also internationally by combining arts, science and technology in an interesting way. It is great to get into this dynamic and multidisciplinary community and participate in its development,’ says Kristiina Kruus.

‘Kristiina Kruus has played an important role in developing our expertise in the bio-economy and in securing and launching a joint flagship project with Aalto. I congratulate her on the new appointment and I believe that we can together deepen our strategically important partnership for the bio-economy,’ comments Jussi Manninen, Executive Vice President, VTT.

Kristiina Kruus will report to Provost Kristiina Mäkelä.